A VERY URBAN PILOT

While it has all the makings of a vintage pilot’s watch, the Big Crown Pointer Date by Oris brilliantly combines a retro aspect with the look of a contemporary watch that can be worn on a daily basis.

Who said that the retro wave that has been washing over watchmaking for the past few years would be short-lived? Quite the reverse – the vintage inspiration is as popular as ever, for the pleasure of a range of brands, including Oris. Of course, when you have been in business since 1904 and have been making time-measuring instruments specially designed for pilots for over 100 years (a first pocket watch in the 1910s and a first wrist watch in 1917), you have all the legitimacy you need to make this kind of watch. Launched in 1938, the Big Crown has been given a new lease of life this year, particularly with the Big Crown Pointer Date model that is both wonderfully retro and wonderfully fashionable.

This watch designed by Oris and powered by a self-winding movement comes in two different sizes: 36mm for the more slender wrist and 40mm for a perfectly unisex width. On the steel case two of the main features of older pilot’s watches can be seen: a fluted bezel and a large crown. The other aesthetic elements inspired by the archives are the large Arabic numerals coated in Super-LumiNova® and the cathedral hour and minute hands, which are also luminescent.

The dial disc, protected by a curved sapphire glass, features a chemin de fer minute track with pale yellow, triangular markers. The date scale stretches all around the chapter ring, and the current date is shown by a hand tipped with a red crescent moon (or white, depending on the version).

The Big Crown Pointer Date comes with a blue-grey (40mm), almond green (36mm) or black dial for both models, and either a steel-link strap or a black or brown leather strap.

Price: 1,550 CHF (leather strap) – 1,750 CHF (steel strap)

By Sharmila Bertin